Now that the Green Bay Packers have won Super Bowl 45, the final draft order has been set with the Pack taking the 32nd pick and the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting 31st overall. So, SB Nation has put its latest 2011 NFL mock draft out for consumption.
After a brief flirtation with North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn, Brian Galliford has the Broncos selecting LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson. Peterson makes all the sense in the world for the Broncos. He's the best player available and maybe even better than Auburn defensive end Nick Fairley, who goes No. 1 to the Carolina Panthers here. Peterson fills a need at cornerback whether Bailey returns to Denver or leaves as a free agent.
That leaves the Broncos with holes to fill on the defensive line, but Elvis Dumervil will return from injury, giving the team a boost there. However, they'll also need to hit the free agent market for help there, whenever free agency starts.
Quinn, in this mock, drops to No. 9 for the Dallas Cowboys. Quinn missed the 2010 season after being declared permanently ineligible after having illegal contact with an agent. His performance at the combine will tell us how high he will be drafted.
There were no quarterbacks taken in the top 10 of the last mock, but in this one Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert goes No. 8 overall to the Tennessee Titans. They'll need a new quarterback and a new head coach as both Vince Young and Jeff Fisher are out in Nashville.
Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder is huge riser in this mock as he goes No. 12 overall to the Minnesota Vikings. He is the first offensive lineman over the board and possibly the top tackle in the draft. A 6-foot-9 tackle will find a place early in this draft. Teammate Jimmy Smith, a cornerback, goes No. 31 to the Steelers.